Armoured Combat Vehicles
Armoured Combat Vehicles describes any ground vehicle clad with any sort of degree of armour or other protection, and typically armed with some sort of weapon ranging from a common infantry support weapon to a small cannon capable of hitting targets up to five kilometers away, alongside batteries of missiles and rockets. Armoured Combat Vehicles serve as a support network to Infantry units, and indeed many of these vehicles are intended to directly improve or augment the performance and effectiveness of infantry units. Others can act on their own as mobile cannons or in other roles. Overview Armoured Combat Vehicles tend to fall under several different categories. In order from lightest to heaviest: Light Vehicles and Transports Along the lines of Jeeps or Humvees, or small versions of tanks. Very versatile and a critical asset to an army - mass-produced like no other. Typically used to great effect to greatly enhance the fighting capabilities of infantry forces and as platforms for various weapon types, or fulfilling rolls such as reconiassance. Armoured Car Fast, nimble, and quick, the Armoured Car need not be armoured. Given some armament (in some cases, more than an APC) and space for a group of people, Armoured Cars are commonly used as infantry support, or as flexible platforms for anti-tank, anti-air, or anti-personnel weapons, in many cases doubling as a scout capable of deadly hit-and-run attacks. Armoured Personnel Carrier Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) such as the Chameleon or Champion are a step-up from standard trucks to transport bodies of soldiers. Armoured to be resistant to small-arms fire, and typically armed with nothing more than a machine gun a man could carry, they're cheap to mass-produce and their off-road capability offers infantry units greater versatility and speed. They are the most common form of combat vehicle in the Galaxy. Infantry Fighting Vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) such as the Crusader is a major upgrade from an APC. Infantry fighting vehicles perform the same role - providing infantry a fast, versatile, and armoured transport platform. IFVs are, however, much better armed. IFVs can double as anti-tank, anti-gunship or anti-air roles, as well as providing significant firepower support to infantry units engaged in battle. Typically given a small autocannon alongside a battery of missiles, IFVs can also be equipped with MANPADs and/or ATGMs. Infantry fighting vehicles are typically assigned to more prestigious infantry formations, or may be mass-produced if a civilization has developed a sufficient technological and infrastructural level across its industrialized worlds. Tanks Heavily armed and armoured vehicles with all-terrain capability, intended for frontline combat. Difficult to maintain, repair, and construct, tanks are far from invincible and require a body of support to be useful. However, tanks excel at being what they are - mobile cannons, the spearhead of your frontal assault, punishing your enemies with hard and heavy armour-piercing or high-explosive ammunition from kilometers out of your reach. Tankette Tankettes are the heaviest form of infantry transport, and are essentially mini-tanks. Lacking the versatility of an IFV, tankettes can act both as infantry transports and as tanks, and maybe given a battery of missiles can act to a small extent in other roles. Armoured to be resilient against most intermediate weapons, particularly towards its front, and given a small rotary-belt turret, mounted with a variety of weapons. Some tankettes have light cannons with a range of two kilometers, and their small silhouettes and relative swiftness make them often an underestimated asset when they are present. Tankettes are difficult to mass-produce in significant numbers, and thus are typically seen accompanying the best formations a civilization can put to field. Support Tank A step up from tankettes in arms and armour, support tanks are no longer infantry transports, but act as support to mechanized formations and drawn-out firefights between heavier tanks. They are also usually equipped with a variety of sensors and instruments to act as reconiassance units, spotting and detecting various kinds of threats. Main Battle Tank Main battle tanks (MBTs), such as the Corsair, are the heaviest combat vehicles generally available. Heavily armed and armoured to be able to slug it out with other tanks. Advanced targeting computers and a long-range gyro-stabilized heavy battle cannon give MBTs the ability to fight other MBTs from kilometers away. Clad in the toughest, most high-tech armour available (usually layered, much like spacecrafts). See Also *Support Vehicles *Infantry *Atmospheric Corps Category:Technology Category:Weaponry